Defamation: Peter Obi finally files N8bn lawsuit against Kenneth Okonkwo

The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has finally filed a N8 billion lawsuit against his former spokesperson and chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Kenneth Okonkwo, for alleged defamation.

Mr Obi filed the lawsuit at the Onitsha Judicial Division of the Anambra State High Court on Thursday

Alleged defamatory remarks
Mr Okonkwo, while appearing as a guest on Channels TV’s programme on 8 June, alleged that Mr Obi defrauded House of Representatives aspirants of N10 million each and went ahead to write a list of candidates for various federal constituencies in the South-east.

In his pre-action notice on 9 June, Mr Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, threatened to sue Mr Okonkwo if he failed to withdraw his allegations against him, pay N5 billion in compensation, and tender a public apology within seven days.

Mr Okonkwo, in his response, in a letter to Mr Obi dated 16 June and signed by his lawyer, V. I. Uma, maintained that he stood by his words.

The ADC chieftain claimed he spoke out after receiving briefs from NDC aspirants who were allegedly defrauded and extorted by the NDC South-east caucus led by Mr Obi.

Writ of summons and Peter Obi’s demands
PREMIUM TIMES obtained a copy of a writ of summons issued against Mr Okonkwo.

The writ, dated 25 June, was issued by Mr Obi’s lawyer, Alex Ejesieme, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria.

The writ was endorsed by the court, which also authorised its service on Mr Okonkwo “out of Anambra State and in Enugu State” where the defendant hails from.

In the writ, Mr Obi was listed as the plaintiff while Mr Okonkwo was listed as the sole defendant in the suit marked 0/229/26.

Mr Obi, in his statements of claim, maintained that Mr Okonkwo’s allegations against him on the TV programme and his response to his pre-action letter, which he shared on his social media handles, were “false, malicious, baseless and defamatory” to him (Mr Obi).

The NDC candidate demanded that Mr Okonkwo should pay him N5 billion as general damages for the injury caused to his “reputation, character, integrity, public image, political standing and goodwill by Mr Okonkwo’s defamatory publications.”

The former Anambra State governor also demanded that Mr Okonkwo should pay him N2 billion as aggravated damages because of “the manner, breadth, persistence, repetition of the publications,” including publications Mr Okonkwo made after he received pre-action notice demanding retraction and apology.

He also demanded payment of N1 billion from Mr Okonkwo as exemplary damages for his “deliberate repetition and amplification of the imputations” even after he received the pre-action notice demanding retraction and apology.

Mr Obi asked the court to grant an order, directing Mr Okonkwo to, within seven days of judgement, “publish at his expense a full, unreserved and unequivocal retraction and apology” to him (Mr Obi) in Channels TV, Channels TV’s YouTube channel, Mr Okonkwo’s social media platforms and in three national newspapers in Nigeria.

The NDC candidate also prayed the court to order that the retraction and apology to the publication by Mr Okonkwo on all his social media platforms should be “prominently displayed and, where the platform permits, pinned to the top of the account for so long as the account remains active.”

He further pleaded with the court to grant an order directing Mr Okonkwo to delete all defamatory statements or comments posted on all his social media accounts and websites under his control.

The former governor also asked the court to grant an order of perpetual injunction restraining Mr Okonkwo or his agents from circulating defamatory or similar remarks.

He equally demanded that Mr Okonkwo should pay him the cost of the suit as assessed by the court and a 10 per cent per annum post-judgement interest on all monetary awards or as may be prescribed by the court from the judgement date until full liquidation.

Background
Messrs Obi and Okonkwo were political allies before now.

Mr Okonkwo served as Mr Obi’s spokesperson while the duo remained members of the Labour Party (LP).

Mr Obi was the 2023 LP presidential candidate. Both politicians switched from the LP to the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

But Mr Obi later left ADC for the NDC, where he emerged as the party’s 2027 presidential candidate.

The former governor’s departure from the ADC appeared to have unsettled Mr Okonkwo, who had become a member of the party’s National Working Committee.

Mr Okonkwo has since then become a critic of the former governor.

During Channels TV’s programme, as analysed by PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Okonkwo alleged that Mr Obi and the South-east caucus of the NDC demanded a N10 million bribe from House of Representatives aspirants in the party to secure their tickets.

The politician specifically claimed that a House of Representatives aspirant in the NDC from Anambra State, Obunike Ohaegbu, sent him a message and a receipt alleging that Mr Obi had scammed him out of a N10 million bribe.

He claimed that Mr Ohaegbu, a House of Representatives aspirant for Nnewi North-South and Ekwusigo Constituency, claimed that after he and other aspirants paid the N10 million bribe, they were asked to go to the field for primaries instead of being given tickets.

Mr Okonkwo further claimed Mr Ohaegbu alleged that Mr Obi, instead of ensuring credible primaries, stayed at Johnwood Hotel, Abuja, wrote and submitted a list of the NDC’s candidates for various constituencies.

He claimed that anybody who votes for the NDC and Mr Obi voted for criminality, arguing that the party had been criminally extorting aspirants.

Meanwhile, Mr Ohaegbu has denied making the statements. While appearing on Channels TV’s Sunrise Daily on 9 June, the politician said he never made such statements to Mr Okonkwo.

“I am telling you that Peter Obi never told me to pay N10 million. I never told Kenneth Okonkwo that Peter Obi, in any way, told me to pay N10 million,” he had said.

Mr Ohaegbu further said he never accused the NDC South-east caucus of bribery and did not say that Mr Obi compiled a list of candidates in Johnwood Hotel.

In response, Mr Obi, in his pre-action notice, threatened to file a N5 billion lawsuit against Mr Okonkwo if he failed to withdraw his allegations against him, pay N5 billion as compensation and tender a public apology within seven days.

In his reply, in a letter to Mr Obi dated 16 June and signed by his lawyer, V. I. Uma, Mr Okonkwo said he stood by his words and insisted he would not retract them

The ADC chieftain repeatedly attributed nearly all his comments on the Channels TV programme to a House of Representatives aspirant in Anambra State, Mr Ohaegbu, who earlier denied making the statements.

The House of Representatives aspirant in a recent interview stressed that he and Mr Obi were in fact “victims” of what Mr Okonkwo was alleging.